In Death, Sacrifice
by Mandrs
Summary: Two Orlesian Wardens have been sent to Ferelden to stop the King from accepting aid from the Empress of Orlais. But, the two Wardens come to find Ferelden in disarray and join with the remaining Wardens of Ferelden to stop the country from collapsing.
1. Warning the King

_Herrow! So this is my first time posting anything and needless to say, I'm very exciting to share this with you all. This is obviously following the story line of DAO but with twists along the way. Treason, love, and more Orlesian's! Oh my! Hope you enjoy, and please, please, please review! I would love to hear your comments. xD_

_p.s. sorry if it's short. I was just working on getting my muse going and now we should be in full blast shortly. Anyways, enjoy! (:  
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**Chapter 1: Warning the King**

The elf set a determined path to the south. She was unfamiliar with these parts, for she rarely left Orlais. Ferelden was a spacious country with wide roads and scarce trees. Lynara sneered at that, for it seemed the shemlen were content with destroying natures creations. Sighing, she pushed this thought from her mind, knowing such matters were not important at a time like this.

A shuffle of papers caught her attention, and she set her sapphire eyes on her companion, a man who went by the name of Rem. She didn't know much about this human, nor did she have any intentions to know him better. Even though they were both Grey Wardens, she was still cautions of the other shemlen in the order. She didn't take prejudice lightly, and Rem knew this. He kept his distance from the bitter, young woman, only speaking to her when they needed to talk about strategy.

Rem cursed loudly in Orlesian and huffed, throwing the crinkled map onto the ground. Lynara stopped and stared at the man with a curious look on her face.

"What now?" she asked, slightly annoyed at the stop in their progress.

"Je ne sais pas!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

"Vous ne saves pas?" she shook her head and pinched the bridge of her nose. "How do you not know what is wrong? By the Creators! All shemlen are such fools..." she began, rolling her eyes.

"Lynara! I am sick of your attitude toward humans! I swear if I hear you complain about my race one more time, I'm going to lose it!" he screamed, startling the critters that chewed on the fresh grass.

"Je m'en fou," she growled, cursing at the man. "I still don't understand why the Warden Commander insisted that I bring you with me. You are such a pain," she said, crossing her arms as she stalked forward.

"And you are a bitter woman who thinks the world is against her," he sneered, picking up the map that he had thrown on the road. He caught up to her and pushed the map in front of her sneering face. "This is why I am distraught. Look at were we are," he pointed at the map. "And this is where the Commander said the Ferelden's would be battling the darkspawn," he said, pointing to Ostagar. "We have been traveling the wrong way for quite some time. We took a wrong turn at the fork in the road several miles back," he explained, cringing. He waited for the elven women to burst into rage.

Lynara took the map and scanned the roads with her blue eyes. She pursed her lips, annoyance bubbling inside her. "Con," she muttered, directing the insult at Rem. He bristled but she ignored the movement. "Very well, we must turn back and make haste. There will be no stopping for us tonight it seems. We must reach Ostagar before it is too late," she said pivoting on her heels.

Quickly the two of them directed themselves towards the ancient Tevinter ruins known as Ostagar.

They had strict orders from the Empress to reach the King of Ferelden before the battle began. They were to let him know that the Orlesian Chevaliers and the Grey Wardens of Orlais would be at his disposal to end the Blight if the King were to sign their agreement. The Commander didn't approve of what the Empress had asked him to do, but her forceful argument ended with him sending two of his Grey Wardens to Ferelden. Riorden knew of the woman's plan to secure Ferelden as Orlais's and he highly disliked the idea. So, went behind her back, for it was a common thing for Orlesians to do. Wardens were not to involve themselves in politics, but the very idea of Orlais taking control of Ferelden angered the Wardens to no end. They were ordered by the Commander to warn King Cailan of what the Empress planned. So Rem and Lynara set off immediately to the southern Wilds of Ferelden.

Hours passed and the sun was starting to set. The cold air of Ferelden swirled around the two, causing them to shiver. On a normal night, they would make camp to rest, but this was not a normal situation.

"From the looks of it, it'll be another day or two before we reach Ostagar. The pace we are making is rather impressive," Rem said with a smile.

Lynara looked at him, her eyes scrutinizing the human. She supposed he wasn't all that bad, but he was still infuriating at times. Her eyes were set on his long, shaggy brown hair that flowed around his strong facial features. He wore heavy chainmail and donned a large shield with a golden griffin spreading its mighty wings. His longsword was sheathed at his side, bumping into his leg every now and then. She had to admit, the man was attractive for a shem. Plus, he was a strong and fearless warriors. And that in itself was always an admirable trait.

"This is good news, indeed," she said, her voice light as she turned her gaze up to the stars. Nature was always so beautiful and she relished in the starlight, a faint smile on her lips. Something about the vast sky reminded her of her clan back home in Orlais. A painful tug at her heart made her eyes glisten with wetness. Looking down, she forced herself to get a hold of her emotions. She didn't want to think about her clan. Not now, not ever. It was too painful of a memory.

Hours passed, and Lynara knew it was about midnight. Her eyes drooped from exhaustion and she longed for sleep. A yawn escaped her lips as she walked down the Imperial Highway.

Something gnawed at the back of her mind. It was as if her entire being was on edge, a irritable sensation flared in her chest. "Do you feel that?" she whispered with malice to Rem.

He had already stopped and now had his shield and sword in hand. "Darkspawn," he growled, a sneer ruining his handsome features.

She reached for her staff, holding the enchanted rod in her petite hands, a fierce look of determination on her face. The evil creatures made themselves visible as they approached from the forest, wicked smiles on their vile faces. Lynara let out a fierce battle cry as she thrusting her staff into the air, paralyzing the darkspawn with her powerful spell.

She saw Rem run forward, charging at the emissary that stood in place, unable to move. He spun around in a whirlwind and beheaded the creature with a powerful blow to the neck. He then sidestepped to the archer nearby, plunging his sword into its chest, blood spewing from the wound onto Rem.

Her spell eventually wore off, and the darkspawn came charging towards her. She aimed her staff at them, letting a cone of fire emanate forward. The evil creatures howled in pain as they caught on fire. She took this as an advantage to retreat towards Rem, letting him take the focus of the creatures.

He gladly did so, shielding himself from any of their powerful attacks. He blocked their swings and then overpowered them and plunged his sword into their flesh. She only watched him for a mere second and she was back to firing arcane bolts at the hurlock that came rushing toward her.

It was a large creature, but slow nonetheless. She dropped her staff and reached for the swords at her side. Once in her hand, she blasted magic into the blades, watching as the metal glowed. She grin wickedly at the hideous creature and lunged forward with her blade, thrusting it into his stomach. She twirled around and chasséd around the creature, striking her other enchanted blade into its vulnerable back. The hurlock fell to the ground with a screech and then she turned to help Rem with the rest of the darkspawn.

Once the darkspawn were defeated, the two wardens were panting and sweating. They were covered in darkspawn blood which reeked with the Taint.

Despite their weariness, Lynara laughed, giddy after defeating twenty or more of the foul creatures. She was either hysterical, or gracious to still be alive.

Together they both rounded up the darkspawn bodies, throwing them into a pile. Once this was complete, Lynara set them ablaze with a fire spell and they watched as the creatures caught on fire. They did this so that their tainted blood would not harm anyone or anything. Satisfied with themselves, they continued onward, hoping to find a clearing where they could rest for the night.

Another hour or two passed before they came across a stream that led them to a fitting clearing off in to trees. Lynara was sure to mark this area on the map, for they may need to camp here on their way back. She took the pack from her back and set it on the ground, pulling out equipment to set up camp. Rem would set up the tents, while Lynara would look for firewood.

After they had a fire going, they sat down to eat a quick snack, satisfying their hunger that gnawed at their stomachs. They didn't say much to each other other then the comments about how well they fought together.

They went through their normal routines. Lynara would go to the stream to warm the water with her magic and they would take turns bathing.

She was first, and she was glad. Darkspawn blood covered her body and clothes. She stripped out of her tall leather boots and robe and emerged herself in the water. After she lathered herself with soap and rinsed it all off with a quick spell, she scrubbed at her magic imbued robe, determined to get the blood out.

Once she was done, she put on a pair of loose leather breeches and a rather baggy tunic. The clothing was comfortable and easy to sleep in. Even though the outfit was entirely fit for a human, she liked it for relaxing.

She returned to the camp, barely acknowledging Rem as she nodded at him to notify that it was his turn. He shook his head at her cold attitude towards him and made his leave for the stream.

Exhaustion finally overcame her and she decided to head to her tent for the night. Rem stayed up to watch over the camp for a few hours, taking the first shift of keeping watch. It was such a pain to do this with only two people. But, it had to be done. After all, who knows what could be lurking in the woods. It was always wise to be cautious.

Once she laid onto her bedroll and covered herself with her warm, wool blanket, she instantly fell asleep, watching as a nightmare flooded her mind.

Darkspawn. They were everywhere and they were all looking at her, hungry expressions in their eyes. She stood their, unable to move. Her whole body trembled with fear as she watched the Archdemon rise above her with large, soaring wings. It let out a fearsome roar over the deep trenches, breathing fire over the vast number of darkspawn. They all let out fierce battle cries and raised their weapons. The dragons voice sang to her, and she found herself doing the same thing.

But, as soon as she raised her staff into the air, the darkspawn set their gaze on her. They stormed to where they stood and consumed her, slowly eating away at her soft, warm flesh. She cried out in pain, and then it all stopped.

She shot up from her bedroll, a thin sheet of sweet on her pale skin. Her long blond hair stuck to her skin as she panted heavily. It was just a dream. She told herself this over and over again, but she was still shaken.

She couldn't take the small confinements of her tent anymore. She crawled out of her tent and saw Rem, writing in his journal, most likely. "I will cover for you now. You can sleep," she said, anxiety thick in her voice.

Rem looked up curiously at her and instantly he was concerned when he saw the fear in her eyes. "Another nightmare?" he asked sadly. She nodded, sitting down in front of the fire. "Her drink some water," he said, standing up to hand her a water skin. She quickly took a drink of it, letting the cool liquid calm her body.

"Ma Serenas. Thank you," she muttered, nodding at him as she handed the water back to him. He smiled slightly at her and headed to his tent.

She continued to stare at the fire, her mind kept wondering back to her dream. This really was a blight, wasn't it?


	2. Long Lost Brothers and Sisters

**Chapter 2: Long Lost Brothers and Sisters**

The ancient Tevinter ruins stretched out before her, looming in the distance. There was a dark cloud of despair that hung above the crumbling stone walls that was known as Ostagar. Lynara's heart sank as she realized the terrible fate that the many soldiers had faced. She could feel hundreds of darkspawn gathering in the distance. The irritable sensation in her chest caused her to tense, her breathing hitched.

"Ostagar... It is lost," she breathed, her eyes clouded with sadness.

"I do not understand how this could be," Rem had muttered, shock coating his voice. "They had said that the victory of this battle was a sure thing."

A thought floated into her mind, making her breath catch in her throat. "This is not good. If Empress Celene were to find out about this, all of Ferelden will be lost."

The lithe elf set off in a sprint towards the ruins, her breath coming in wild pants. Rem quickly responded to this, running after her, calling out her name. "Wait! What do you think you're doing?" he huffed, trying to keep up.

Ignoring him, she continued to run. She had to find survivors. She needed to know if anyone lived. If the King had lived.

Fire ran through her veins as she approached the ruins, a thousand darkspawn called to her blood. She halted, a bewildered look distorting her beautiful features. Rem had finally caught up to her and he cursed loudly.

"Are you mad?" he asked, breathing heavily.

"Damnit! Damn it all!" she screeched, throwing her hands into the air. "No one would survive such an attack. What fools!" She couldn't believe how things had taken a turn for the worse. There was no chance that anyone lived. Not will all of the darkspawn masses down in the ruins. All of the Ferelden Wardens had been down there. Now the nation would be doomed to the Archdemon and surely the Empress's desire for power. How could these foolish men let such a thing occur? Had they not thought about the consequences if they had lost? Her mind went mad at such thoughts. She wanted to scream. She wanted to raise the King from his early death just to yell at him and tell him what a fool he was.

"Lynara, calm down. We will figure out what to do. We will contact Riorden immediately and he will send more Wardens. I am sure if it," he tried to comfort her with words, but she was so angry that she would have none of it. She childishly crossed her arms and stormed away, her back turned to the overrun ruins. She put Ostagar behind her, leaving all of the dead bodies in the vile hands of the darkspawn. For there was nothing they could do.

They were silent for a long time as they traveled north on the Imperial Highway. Her mind reeled with thoughts about Ostagar and the fate of Ferelden. She was sure that Empress Celene would invade if she knew that army had been destroyed during the battle against the darkspawn. She was sure that the Empress would take advantage of this. There was no way that they would be able to let her know about this. She must never find out.

"We can't contact Riorden," Lynara said abruptly.

Rem looked at her quizzically, an eyebrow raised up to his hairline. "And why not?"

"Are you so slow to realize that Celene would take control of Ferelden if she knew they were in a rut such as this?" she spat at him, her words full of disgust.

"I guess that didn't cross my mind. Do you really think she would do such a thing?" he asked dumbly.

"That's like asking if I think that a bird can fly," she rolled her eyes. "Of course I think she would. She's an opportunist and a power-hungry ruler. Hasn't this been a goal of hers since Ferelden gained its independence again?"

"I guess you are right. But what does that have to do with Riorden?"

"You really are stupid, aren't you?" sighing, she spoke her inner thoughts. "If we send a letter to Orlais, it will be intercepted. Don't look at me like that, we are talking about Orlais here. Anyways, if the Empress knew that we sent a message to Riorden, she would go to all costs to find out what was inside that letter. If she knew what state Ferelden was in, she would send the Chevaliers to conquer the country." she eplained, watching Rem's reaction with a blank expression.

"I hate to say it, but you're right. But what are we supposed to do? Two wardens can't defeat a Blight by themselves," he pointed out, a worried look crossing his face.

"Then we will need to find help. Somehow, we'll need to find others to aid us."

"Easier said then done. We're Orlesian. No one in this country will take us lightly."

"I didn't say this was going to be easy," she said, her eyes growing dark a she stared straight ahead.

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They traveled north for about two days and they ran into darkspawn on a regular basis. Fighting wasn't a problem since they had learned to work together with ease. Rem would take the creatures head on, bashing them with his shield and slicing through their flesh. Lynara would keep her distance and fire her spells, neutralizing and eliminating the threat. If they came close to her, she would reach for her swords and slice through them like butter. She was becoming quite the battlemage. For she was quickly learning how to use her magic to aid her in melee combat.

It was night, and the stars were bright against the black sky. Lynara told Rem that they should get some rest tonight, so they both went about their duties and set up camp. Covered in sweat and blood, Lynara insisted on bathing before dinner.

After she was clean, she slipped into her favorite pair of black leather breeches and a cream colored tunic with laces at the top. She sat in front of the campfire, basking in the heat of the flames, orange and yellow flickering against the night sky. Rem worked on putting together a hearty stew on the other side of the fire and she watched closely, her mouth watering.

The stew was tasty and she could pick out the spices that flavored the vegetables. After she slurped down the last of the broth, her eyes began to droop and she could tell exhaustion was taking over.

She was just about to head to her tent for the night when her whole body stiffened. There was a tingling in her chest and a slight irritation arose into her mind. Darkspawn? No. She reached out an realized what she sensed was all too familiar. She looked over to Rem who mirrored her expression of surprise and confusion.

The sounds of voices reached out, confirming Lynara's suspicions that it was not darkspawn. That, it indeed where fellow grey wardens.

All exhaustion melted from her as she quickly stood up, her heart fluttering with hope. Had Riorden sent more men after her? Did someone actually survive Ostagar? The latter of the two was what she hoped for. Maybe then they could finally understand what was going on.

"Idiot. I will not stand here and listen to you go on about the Circle and all of it's mighty ways. It is a prison, meant to confine mages. The chantry and their beloved templars are filled with hypocritical fools who, alas, want nothing more then to constrain mages and all that they are," a regal voice started to make itself known as the party approached their camp. The woman sounded annoyed and the way she spoke seemed very condescending.

"I'm not entirely supporting the Circle. I just... I just think that it seems wise to train mages the way they do. Having apostates running around without the right training is very dangerous. All the chantry is doing is protecting people from their power. Power that you and your mother exploit. You are the reason they have created the Circle of Magi in the first place," a mans voice now came forward, and he seemed rather timid and scared in the way that he talked.

The woman scoffed loudly and continued to argue. "Mother and I are not turning into abominations or reeking havoc on people. It seems we are the only mages who have control enough to avoid those Chantry fools. Tis most unsurprising. Those people they call mages allow themselves to be imprison and abused by the templars."

Lynara listened very carefully, her ears picking up their heavy footsteps. She had to admit, she much preferred the woman's opinion of the Circle and mages. It was refreshing to hear such an opinion when all she came across were Chantry followers who yelled 'Apostate!' at her face. She scowled at the very thought of it.

Their footsteps halted when another female voice arose from the bickering. "Would you two be quiet for a second?" she asked, clearly annoyed. There was a silence and then she spoke again. "Do you feel that? There is someone... or something ahead. Be on your guard."

Not wanting the three intruders to attack or become startled by their presence, Lynara walked over to where she had the voices coming from. Rem followed behind her, a blank expression on his face.

"Fellow grey wardens!" she called out, her voice friendly. The three figures came into view, their weapons were drawn. "Please, put your weapons away. We are one of you, as you should be able to tell by the sensation in your blood," she explained, tilting her head to the side, a faint smile on her lips.

They were only a few feet away from them now, and their expressions were priceless. Well, the mans face was priceless at least. One of the women had a look of disinterest, and the other had a look of disbelief and shock. The man just stared at the elven girl with a dopey expression on his face. She bit her cheek, trying to bite back a laugh.

After a few moments of awkward silence, the man finally spoke. "Grey wardens... we thought everyone had died in the battle, but here you are!" he said, clearly relieved. His warm amber eyes glistened with hope, and Lynara couldn't help but stare at them. She had to admit, for shem he was very handsome. He had blond hair with a faint tint of red to it and it was swooped up in the front. His facial features were strong and masculine. His jaw was firm and his skin was dyed from the sun, making it a dark creamy color.

Lynara finally broke away from her admiration and regained her thoughts. "We did not make it in time for the battle," she explained, her Orlesian accent coming through. "We were sent by the Warden-Commander of Orlais."

The other human girl bristled at this. The woman had shoulder length hair that was brown and wavy. Her grey eyes were guarded but wise as she stared at the Lynara and Rem. "Orlesian's?" she spat. "They have come to aid us? That doesn't seem like something they would do."

Rem didn't take kindly to this. He was a proud Orlesian and he hated how the Ferelden's were quick to jump to conclusions. "We are wardens, madame. You should remember that nationality and race should not interfere with your judgment. We were sent by the Warden-Commander. Not by the Empress," he said through clenched teeth. Although this was somewhat a lie, he dared not mention what the Empress had wanted. Not yet at least.

The woman was taken back by this and she hung her head with what looked like shame. The man stepped forward. "It is good to see you here, brother and sister. I am Alistair. And this is Isabelle," he said, pointing to the human who was hanging her head. "We are the only wardens left in Ferelden. The rest died on the battle field with our Commander Du-" he started to say, but quickly stopped, his eyes dropping down to the ground. A sad pain appeared in his eyes and his eyebrows knitted together.

Lynara was no fool. It was clear to her that their Commander meant something to this Alistair. He was clearly taking the loss difficultly. She cleared her throat. "A pleasure. I am Lynara. And this is Rem," she said, waving to the human man next to her. "To say the least, we are very grateful for you two to be alive. When we saw that Ostagar was lost, we ourselves were unsure what to do. After all, two wardens cannot defeat a blight on their own. And, warden or not, it is clear your people do not take kindly of us," she said, her eyes flicking to Isabelle. The human woman didn't look at her, she just stared off into the distance, her expression hard to read.

Alistair looked at Lynara with a glisten in his warm eyes. He eyed her, taking in her long, golden locks that cascaded down to her chest. The tips of her ears peeked out of her hair and he couldn't help but revel in how cute that was. Her eyes were two light sapphires that twinkled in the starlight. He was mesmerized by them, but was ever more so by the tattoo on her forehead. It resembled a tree, with branches that reached out across her skin and was decorated with leaves and flowers. It swirled around by her eyes, the light ink standing out against her pale, fair skin. She was beautiful to say the least, and he couldn't look away.

Lynara was starting to feel uncomfortable by all the scrutiny. She fidgeted, looking away toward the ground. Clearing her throat she started to talk, hoping to end the horrible awkward air that surrounded the two groups. "Well, now that we have found each other, I suppose we should work together, no? Do you have a plan?" she asked, looking between the three, wondering which one was the leader.

The human, Isabelle, stepped forward. She had a very proud demeanor and she was sure that this woman was a natural leader by the way that she held herself. "We plan to go to Arl Eamon for aid, for his armies were not at Ostagar. Then, we plan to seek aid from three groups. You see, we have treaties that require their aid in a Blight. We were to go to the Circle of Magi, then Orzammar, and then to the Brecillian Forest, were we hoped to find the Dalish," she said, her voice never faltering.

Lynara nodded at this, pursing her lips as she considered their plan. It sounded reasonable and wise. If they had treaties, then these three groups would have to comply. This Eamon on the other hand was another story. "Why was your Arl Eamon not at the battle?" she blurted, slightly angry that he wasn't there to aid his people.

"We are unsure. He was running behind and was not able to arrive before the darkspawn attacked," she said, hard guarded eyes looking at Lynara.

"I see," she said, but she really didn't. She couldn't understand why the man had skipped out on the battle and she was angered by this. This Eamon was a good example of a human lord who was arrogant and out for himself.

"I must ask," Rem interceded. "What has happened to your King?" his eyes held great worry, for he feared the worst.

There was a long pause, and they already knew the answer. Finally Isabelle spoke up. "King Cailan was killed in battle, along with many other great men and women," she said, sadness glistening in her eyes. "Teyrn Loghain deserted the battlefield, leaving everyone to die."

A quiet air of sadness fell over everyone in the camp. "The plan was that once Alistair and I were to light the beacon at the top of the Tower of Ishal, Loghain was to take his troops and flank the darkspawn, ensuring our victory in the battle. But, everything went entirely wrong. Darkspawn infiltrated the Tower and the beacon was surely late. Once we achieved in lighting it however, he never charged and this caused many lives to be lost. We would have died too, if Morrigan's mother hadn't saved us," she said, looking at the woman in a dark, sexy robe, a grateful look in her eye.

Lynara understood that the third member of their group was this said Morrigan. So her mother had saved them? She wondered why this was. The woman looked different, unlike most humans she saw. She was beautiful with yellow eyes and a round, heart-shaped face. Her black hair was pulled back into a bun and her robes were tight around the woman's voluptuous curves.

"I am very sorry to hear this," Rem said, looking over at Lynara from the corner of his eye. She held a worried look on her face as thoughts of the Empress flooded through her mind. She didn't want to say anything, for she worried that the others would not take it well. She just bowed her head in silence, closing her eyes to say a short prayer to her Gods.

When she finally looked up, she noticed Alistair was looking at her again. This made her uncomfortable and she quickly looked away, turning her gaze towards Isabelle. "Well, I do encourage you to accept our aid against this Blight. We will follow you and your companions until the end," she said, her proud grey warden nature coming forward.

A soft expression came over Isabelle's pretty features, making her look much more friendly in the process. "We would gladly except your help. Thank you," she said, nodding her head at Rem and Lynara.

Isabelle turned back to her group and spoke quickly. "Let us set up camp and get some rest for the night. Tomorrow we will arrive in Lothering and we will stock up on supplies. From there, we will head to Redcliffe."

"Good idea," Alistair said, a lopsided smile forming on his full lips. Morrigan said nothing, but went to set up her tent away from everyone else. Lynara was most curious about her, and looked forward to being able to converse with her sometime soon. For now though, she would let everyone get some rest.

"Before anyone heads to bed for the night, I suggest we set up shifts for keeping watch. I don't mind going first. After that, Rem can take it from there. And then, Alistair, Isabelle and then Morrigan. Does this sound good to you?" she asked, directing the question at Isabelle.

"Yes it does," she said, smiling.

"There is some stew left over if any of you would like some before you go to sleep," Rem started to say. Isabelle and Alistair quickly jumped at the opportunity to satisfy their warden appetites. They muttered their thanks and quickly ate the tasteful food.

Lynara smiled, glad that things were finally starting to look up. She sat down on a log that was stationed in front of the fire. Eventually everyone left to sleep in their tents, leaving her alone in the open forest.

This is the way she preferred it. It was just her and nature at its best.


	3. Loathing Lothering

Alright, so just wanted to thank Alyssacousland for reviewing my story. Thank you very much, it means a lot! (:

So, sorry this took long to post. I was having trouble with this chapter and plus Dragon Age 2 came out and I've been playing it nonstop haha. But anyways, I hope you enjoy. Please, please review. It would be much appreciated!

P.s. Bioware owns! (I know I forgot to mention that before bwahah. But I swear, they do (: )

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**Chapter 3: Loathing Lothering**

Without saying much, the group was up and moving as soon as the sun began to rise. A pale light shined through the canopy of trees and the campfire had burned through all of the wood. Silently, Lynara packed up her things, ready before any of her other companions even had their tent put away. She stood in front of the burnt wood, a scowl on her face as she impatiently waited for everyone to get moving.

Alistair looked up from his tedious work of putting his tent down when his gaze found Lynara. His breath caught when he took in her light blue robe that fell delicately around her petite frame. The collar came low in the front and she wore a dark blue scarf loosely around her neck. Dark leather gloves covered her forearms and left her fingers bare. The shoulders of her robe were thick with fur and there were slits in her skirt on either side of her legs. The dress flowed down past her knees where she wore dark leather boots that came up to her thighs. To say she looked stunning was an understatement. She looked absolutely gorgeous in her Dalish robe.

The hairs on her arm stood up as she noticed a pair of eyes staring right at her. Her cold gaze found Alistair who looked at her dumbly. His cheeks turned pink and he looked away, returning his focus to the tent in front of him. She didn't look away as he did this, she just crossed her arms and stared, her eyes scrutinizing his every move.

They were moving too slow. By the time they had a quick meal, they had already wasted valuable traveling time. They were running behind. Lynara was annoyed by this, but kept her opinion to herself.

Eventually, they were all ready and packed up and she was quick to lead the way from the clearing. She grew tired of waiting around and was eager to get on their way. She was at the head of the group, minding her own business as everyone else made small talk behind her. She couldn't help but wonder if the new recruits knew about the fate of Grey Wardens. The must know, right?

Alistair had matched paces with the elven woman, walking in stride next to her. She looked over at him, her expression blank. He had a nervous smile on his face and she wondered why this was. Was she really all that intimidating? The idea in itself was rather thrilling, if not humorous. A small elf could frighten this muscular human man? It was definitely a pleasing thought.

"So," he started, reaching at a conversation starter. She raised a curious eyebrow at him as he stumbled for something clever to say. "You are Dalish then? From Orlais, yes?"

"Was it the tattoo and accent that gave it away?" she asked, a faint smile pulling at her lips.

"Well, I wasn't sure if city elves had tattoos as well. But, then again, I suppose I've never seen one with a tattoo before, so I guess it was a rather dumb question after all," he explained, looking away. "Ah, there I go babbling again."

She shook her head, disappointed in the shem's knowledge of elves. But, what had she expected? They were all naive about their culture because they didn't care. None of them did. "A city elf would not have a tattoo because they do not believe in the Creators. It is a symbol of our God's and a sign of worship. It is called the Vallaslin and it has been practiced by only the Dalish," she said, annoyance filling her tone.

Alistair was no fool, he could tell she was not pleased with him. He wasn't sure what to say, so he stupidly blurted the first thing that came to mind. "Well, it's very beautiful," he blushed when he realized what he had said. Quickly he turned away, wanting to crawl into a hole where he would be far away from Lynara's cold, curious gaze.

Taken back, she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. A shemlen thought it was beautiful? This was something new to her. "Ma serennas," she said, her eyes glistening at him. She wanted to say more, but there was nothing to say. He would not care about her clan and the way of her people. He would not care to hear about the Creators and how much they meant to her. He was human.

"So how long have you get a grey warden?" Lynara could tell he was trying to fill the awkward silenced that brewed between them.

"I'm going on my second year."

"Oh, so are you the senior warden here, or is Rem?"

"I am," was all she said. She knew what this responsibility meant. When they would have to defeat the Archdemon, it would be her duty to end it all.

Alistair was confused as to why she looked sad by this. "Hey, are you alright? Did I say something wrong?" he asked, concerned when her lips turned down at the corners.

"I am fine. Do not worry about me," she said, somewhat harshly. He could feel his heart drop to his stomach at her sharp words. It was as if she had punched him in the gut. She noticed the hurt look in his eyes and she had a strange urge to reach out and comfort him. Luckily, Isabelle intruded in their conversation, matching her stride with theirs.

"We should be in Lothering soon," she said lightly. The woman placed a hand on Alistair's arm and looked at him tenderly. "Can I speak to you?"

Alistair looked at her hand, and then up to her grey eyes. "U-uh, sure," he said, his eyes brightening. He turned to Lynara and then looked back at Isabelle, a smile on his lips.

Lynara watched as they ventured away from the group. Isabelle had a warm look in her eyes as she looked at Alistair. There was even a faint smile on her lips and he returned the looked. There was a pang in her chest as she watched this. What was this feeling? Certainly it wasn't jealousy. It couldn't be. But, for some reason she couldn't look away. She scowled and crossed her arms, finding herself extremely annoyed.

* * *

"There she is," Lynara said, loud enough for the entire group to hear.

"Who?" Alistair asked. He walked not too far behind her and he couldn't help but stare at her swaying hips from time to time. Luckily for him, Lynara never noticed because she might have smite him if she saw where his eyes lingered.

"I mean Lothering, not a person," she explained, rolling her eyes.

"Well, don't confuse me like that. Last I checked Lothering is not a female. It is a place. No gender included."

"It is a figure of speech, Alistair," she explained, slightly chuckling at his ignorance.

He smiled, loving the way her accent embraced his name. It was enticing to hear her laugh and he wanted to hear more of it. "Oh. Well, now I feel rather stupid. I'm just going to shut up now."

"Did I just hear Alistair admit to being stupid? And did he say he was going to shut up? Well, what a fine day this is," Morrigan laughed, smiling mischievously. "Perhaps there is a Maker after all."

Lynara laughed at her sarcasm. She had yet to talk to the witch, but she liked what Morrigan had to say most of the time. She was witty and bowed to no one. Her power and confidence was admirable.

Alistair looked at Lynara who was still laughing. _Well, that's not how I wanted to make her laugh,_ he thought to himself, frowning. "Must you always ridicule me?" he asked the witch.

"Did you say something? I thought you said you were going to shut up?"

"I-" he began, but was cut off

"Would you stop the bickering?" Isabelle intervened, annoyance clear in her voice. "There is someone up ahead. Be cautious."

Everyone shut up and was straining to see a group of people blocking the road. There were wagons knocked over and crates scattered the pavement. "Bandits," Lynara cursed.

"Wake up gentlemen," a man called to the group of bandits milling about behind him. His voice was cocky and his expression said as much. It was clear that he was their leader by the way that he held himself. "More travelers to attend to. I'm guessing the pretty one is the leader," he said pointing to Isabelle.

Lynara was taken back by this and slightly hurt. She crossed her arms over her chest, hoping to hide her feelings from the rest of the group. From the corner of her eye, she peered over to Isabelle who had a smug look on her face. Lynara's cold eyes trailed up and down the humans slender, but fit, body. The same uncomfortable feeling from before pang in her chest. Jealousy.

"Ah, a welcome committee! How nice of you to greet us," Isabelle said, stepping forward with a faux smile on her face.

"Highwaymen," Alistair growled quietly under his breath. "Probably preying on people seeking refuge."

"What fools to get in our way. I say teach them a lesson," Morrigan sneered. Lynara looked over at the witch who was now standing very close to her. She agreed with this, her hate for the bandits grew heavy in her chest and she immediately brought her staff forward.

"Uh, boss, thems don't seem like da other ones," an incompetent, stupid man said from behind the leader.

"Shh, shut up," he quickly hissed at him and then turned his attention back on Isabelle. "Uh, yes a welcoming committee. And we have been ordered to collect a fee for entrance," he said, his cocky demeanor returning.

"They would make us pay them?" Rem laughed, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword.

"Aw, what a shame," Isabelle bashed her eyelashes. "I don't pay bandits. I tend to, you know, slice them to bits for taking advantage of innocent people."

"Well I-I cannot let you pass," the leader said, fear glinting in his eyes.

Lynara walked forward, only inches away from the bandit group. She held her staff as if it was a walking stick, leaning against it as she narrowed her cold eyes at the leader. "Is that so?" she growled. "You will regret those words."

"You should keep your elf servant in che-" he began to say but was quickly cut off by Lynara's fierce cry of anger. She brought up her staff and slammed the bottom of it down hard on the stone pavement. A wall of flames burst forward, scorching the bandits to a crisp. Bringing up her free hand, she clenched her fist which was now surrounded by a ball of lightening. She thrust it forward, letting the electricity shoot out at the screaming men. They all fell to the ground, their skin charred from the heat of her magic.

Panting, she put her staff back on her back and stepped over the limp bodies a satisfied smile playing at her lips.

"Well, that was interesting," Rem said, throwing his head back to laugh. "Not the first time she's done that, I might add."

"Maker's breath!" Alistair exclaimed, eyes wide. "Wow... I-I... didn't realize," he shook his head, unable to put his thoughts into words.

"Didn't realize she's a powerful mage?" Morrigan said, smiling. "That was most impressive."

"Remind me not to piss her off," Isabelle said, somewhat taken back by what Lynara had done.

Annoyed, Lynara turned around, hands on her hips. "Care to stop gawking and loot their bodies already? We could use the coin," her voice was as cold as her eyes as she spoke.

"If the coin isn't melted," Rem said, laughing again.

They did as she said and found one hundred silver on their bodies. Some of it was burnt, but it was still usable.

* * *

"Lothering, as pretty as a painting," Alistair sighed as they looked onto the village.

"All of these people fleeing the darkspawn. This... is a most troubling sight," Isabelle said, her dark eyebrows knitting together. "We should help these people."

"We do not have time," Lynara began to say, but Isabelle shot her a look of anger. Fine, if she wanted to be the hero and help all of these people, then she would let her play hero. "Whatever. Do what you wish."

She could hear the witch scoff from behind her. Lynara smirked, wondering if she was scoffing at her, or the blasted human who assumed the role of leading them.

"Lighten up, Lyn," Rem said, elbowing her arm. "We may be able to earn some coin. You never know."

"Coin? From these people? I hardly doubt that. They look as if they don't even have enough food to eat, let alone coin to spare." she shuddered. "But, alas, I will not protest against helping others. I just wish I didn't have to stay in this shemlen town," a sigh escaped her lips as she headed down the stares into the village.

People looked at them with fear and confusion in their eyes. There were tents scattered about and hundreds of people begging for food or coin. Lynara hated seeing this, she hated being in the presence of all this despair. She especially hated the looked of fear and disgust that people had on their faces as they looked at the Dalish elf.

"Alright, since you want to go about and help the people, why don't you take Alistair and Rem with you while Morrigan and I will restock our supplies if we can. I doubt there is much left," she said to Isabelle.

Alistair was about to protest when Isabelle nodded and said, "Sounds like a fair plan to me," she turned to the two men and smiled. "Alright, lets be on our way, then."

Glad to see her off, she looked at Morrigan who seemed just as pleased. "I say let the hero do her good," she said in her regal voice. "She will soon learn that people are not what they seem to be," she laughed at this and Lynara wasn't sure why, but for some reason she couldn't help but agree. This was true in many aspects and she couldn't help but think about the first time she met a shem. Riorden. He had proven that her allegations about humans were not always true.

Sighing, she pushed the thought out of her mind and focused on the task ahead of her. "Alright, let us head to the inn," Lynara led the way, weaving through the many refugees.

* * *

"No food?" Lynara huffed, baffled by what the innkeeper said. "Absolutely nothing to sell? This is unbelievable," she was angered by this and extremely annoyed. With Morrigan in tow she stormed out of the inn and made her way to the front of the chantry where she found the man the innkeeper had spoke of.

"You," she growled. "You intend to swindle these people out of their money?"

"I'm just a business man trying to get by," he explained, giving her a dirty look in the process.

"Get by? Your selfishness if forcing others to suffer!"

"Are you saying if you were in my position, you wouldn't be doing the same?"

"No, I'm not a sniveling blighter like you are. Now lower your prices or I'll make you," the threat with clear in her voice and expression. Her hand twitched for the staff on her back as she looked the man square in the eye.

"Alright, alright, no need to get violent. I'll lower the prices, you have my word," the man threw up his hands in surrender.

"Good. Now, let me look at your wares," she smiled up at him, batting her eyelashes.

Morrigan guffawed in the background, unable to contain her amusement.

After she bought most of his food, she walked off with the witch beside her. She led to way over to the inn, where they would wait for the others to return.

"So, you are what these people call an apostate, yes?" Morrigan said, approval in her tone.

"Yes, I suppose I am," she said, cringing at the word.

"It seems we share something in common."

"You too are not of the circle?" Lynara brightened at this. "But, I guess that was kind of obvious. You are a the daughter of Asha'bellannar, no?"

Morrigan laughed at this. "Yes, I suppose I am. Do you not fear me like the others do?"

"Why should I? You have not proven harmful to me."

"Most wise."

There was a comfortable silence until they entered the inn. The sounds of desperate people and music filled her sensitive ears as she made her way to one of the only empty tables. Morrigan sat across from her, her expression blank as she looked at all the people around her.

"Is this the first time being outside the wilds?" Lynara asked out of the blue. The witch's yellow eyes fell on the elf, her face still blank.

"Tis not the first time, no," she said thoughtfully. "I had left a few times but I always found myself returning to the wilds. Life among humans was never for me."

The elf let out a shrill laugh. "I can understand that. But, at least you are always able to return. I am not so fortunate," she frowned at this and quickly shook her head. "No, forget I said that. I do not wish to speak of such things."

Morrigan eyed her carefully. "Speak of what? I heard nothing."

Suddenly there was a ruckus downstairs, interrupting their conversation. Lynara quickly stood, seeing a group of men standing before Isabelle, Rem, Alistair and a strange creature that looked like a Qunari. She was shocked to see the horned creature, unsure of what to think. Her ears flicked and she strained to listen. From what she heard, the men were making allegations that wardens were traitors, and Loghain has put a bounty on their heads. Appalled by such news, she reached for her staff, ready to take his lackeys then and there.

She missed some of the conversation but was quick to react when they drew their swords. The sound of metal hitting one another was drowned out by the screams. Lynara noticed a red-haired women in a Chantry robe taking sides with the wardens and she was extremely surprised to see her wielding a fine wooden longbow. Since when did lay sisters learn to fight? She was baffled at such a sight.

Gathering her senses, she focused on a spell that would freeze some of the men. Muttering a few words under her breath she released the magic on the men, frost covering their bodies. A smirk pulled at her lips as Alistair slashed at one of them with his sword, breaking the man into pieces. His expression was one of shock as he took in the fragments of the ice that was once a man.

It was a matter of seconds before the leader of the men begged them to stop. They halted but still held their swords tightly in their hands. The chantry sister asked them to show them mercy and Isabelle said something threatening to the man, but Lynara couldn't quite make out her words.

The two mages made their way down the stairs to where the rest of their group resided.

"I would like to come with you," the woman said with a thick Orlesian accent. Lynara perked up at this and so did Rem. What was an Orlesian doing in the Lothering chantry and why did she want to come with them? So many thoughts went through Lynara's mind that she couldn't keep up with them.

"Why would a lay sister want to do such a thing?" Isabelle asked cautiously.

"The Maker wants me to," she responded with clear confidence.

This girl was surely mad. There was no doubt about it.

"Um, care to explain?" Isabelle asked with hesitation.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I must seem utterly crazy. You see, he came to me in a vision." she paused, taking in everyone's expressions. "Please, I am a capable fighter and since I aided you in fighting, I cannot return to the chantry."

"Fine, we can use all of the help we can get," Isabelle said, ignoring Lyanra's and Morrigan's fierce expressions.

"Perhaps you hit your head harder then mother thought," Morrigan said quietly, distaste in her voice. Lynara bit her lip, trying to hide her amusement.

Could things get anymore bizarre?


	4. On the Road Again

Just wanted to give a quick thanks to my reviewers, Alyssacousland and Grey Jacket (: Please keep the reviews coming, they mean a lot to me.

So, this chapter took a bit to write. I've been really distracted lately and I suck at focusing. xD Bwahahah but now that I'm done with Dragon Age 2, maybe I'll actually have more time to write. :P

Anyways, this chapter kind of helps get the idea of characters. I had a lot of fun just doing a lot of dialogue, I kind put off going to Redcliffe because I'm a nub xD But yes, I hope you enjoy the characterization and what-not. There are some excerpts from the game, I suppose, but I really tweaked the ideas because I didn't want to play through the game again just to find the right dialogue. I is da lazy. So, I decided to warp it to my will! Mwahah!

Alright, I'm done with my rambling, Bioware owns my soul. And. Thanks for the reviews and favorites! (((((:

* * *

Night had covered the sky and Lothering was beginning to drift into sleep. Fires were extinguished and people slowly departed to their tents and homes, exhaustion in their weary eyes. There was a strange sadness in the air as people disappeared into their dreams. They knew the darkspawn would come. They knew they were likely not to live. But, they knew they had no where to go.

The group of travelers looked back at the village one more time before leaving it behind. They had inquired about rooms at the inn, but all of them were taken, people even payed out of desperation to sleep on the floor. Every place was filled with refugees, leaving no room for the seven of them.

They ventured out into the outskirts of the village, setting up camp near a river that flowed through the town. Isabelle notified everyone that they cleared the area of bandits and wild animals, ensuring that the area was safe for them to rest for the night.

A heavy sigh sounded from where Isabelle stood. "I was really hoping for a hot bath tonight," she frowned and stared at the trickling water of the stream. "I suppose it can wait."

Lynara snorted at this and shook her head as she munched on a piece of bread. "Get used to not having such luxuries."

The woman whipped around to look at Lynara, a scowl on her face. Isabelle didn't like the tone of voice she had used. Just because the woman was Dalish and knew how to live in the wilderness, didn't mean she had the right to act like she was better then the rest. She ignored what Lynara had to say and went to sit down by the fire.

Her mind wondered back to her old life and how simple it was. _To be a Cousland again_, she thought to herself with a faint sadness tugging at her heart. This abrupt change in lifestyle was hard to get the hang of, but she tried her best for the sake of her followers. She knew she had to lead them through this blight. She kept telling herself that she was their leader and that she needed to be strong. It was in her blood to commit to her duty and do the right thing. It had been her dream to be the Teyrna, or even the commander of her armies. But now, as a Grey Warden, she could be neither of those things.

"Dinner is ready!" Leliana announced, a pleased smile on her face. Her cheerful voice broke through Isabelle's train of thought and was immediately drawn in by the delightful smell of the stew. She quickly served herself some and devoured it, satisfying her rumbling stomach.

"Wow," she said between spoonfuls. "This is so much better then Alistair's cooking."

"Hey," he frowned. "It's not my fault nobody volunteered to cook. I specifically told you I'm not a high class chef."

"You said no such thing! I remember you said you were decent. Had I known decent meant bad, I would have volunteered myself," she laughed and shook her head. Alistair blushed at this and looked down towards his bowl, frowning when he realized it was all gone.

"There's plenty more if you would like seconds," Leliana beamed at him from across the fire. The four Grey Wardens quickly jumped at the opportunity to eat more. Leliana laughed at their hungry expressions. "You must have been starving after your travels."

"I guess you could say that. For some reason, Grey Wardens have ravenous appetites. We eat a lot, if you haven't noticed," Rem explained, his eyes lingering on Leliana's.

"Oh, well it's a good thing you get a lot of exercise."

There was a light laughter that enveloped the camp.

After everyone had finished eating, Rem helped Leliana clean up, the two of them heading to the stream to wash the dishes. Isabelle noticed how they smiled at each other and was happy to see everyone getting along. Her curious eyes scanned the campsite and noticed how Lynara ventured off to where Morrigan had set up her tent. They seemed to be in a deep conversation which caused a her to feel suspicious. She shrugged it off for now, there was no need for her to get wary about the two apostates yet.

A bark echoed from the distance and Isabelle tensed, reaching for her dagger and sword. Her eyes darted around as she looked for the source of the sound, weary of the posed threat. Everyone else at the camp seemed to drop what they were doing and were all on guard as they looked between Isabelle the forest line.

A black creature sprinted forward and let out another bark as it hurled itself towards the camp, tongue flopping about. Its short stubby tail waged viciously as it dashed for its master. "Lady!" Isabelle exclaimed, letting her weapons drop to the grass with a small thud. "Oh, my Lady!" The Mabari hound met the woman and jumped into her arms, licking at her face with great happiness.

Everyone looked with confusion and curiosity clear on their faces. "Lady?" Alistair asked, smirking. Isabelle ignored him and hugged her hound with immense love and adoration.

Lynara gawked with pure horror as she watched the beast lick at Isabelle's face. "Is it going to eat her?" she said, her voice almost serious.

Lady broke away from her master and barked with exuberance. Her tail wagged fiercely and her tongue hung from her mouth as her lips pulled into a doggy-smile. "I thought you were a goner, lady! Oh, my heart rejoices to know you are alive. I don't know what I'd do without my favorite warrior to protect me!" Isabelle said to her dog, her gray eyes shinning.

"I've never understood Ferelden's and their odd obsession with dogs," Lynara's side comment was loud enough for everyone to hear. Rem and Leliana were now making their way over to the center of the camp and they both chuckled.

"Neither have I," Rem said, shaking his head, a smile on his face.

"Well why not? Mabari's are amazing companions," Alistair said, admiration in his eyes as he looked at Lady and Isabelle.

Lady barked with approval and sat down on her hind quarters, inspecting everyone around her. Isabelle chuckled at the dog and turned to Alistair. "Indeed they are. Lady is the best friend I've ever had."

"That's just sad. She's a filthy mutt!" Morrigan quipped. "It smells worse then Alistair."

"Hey! I smell just fine, thank you," he said in defense, his eyes wide with hurt.

Lady trotted over to the blond-haired man and sniffed at him. She made a strange sound that could be recognized as gagging and Alistair stared with horror as the hound teased him. Everyone except Sten, who stood cryptically at a distance, burst into laughter at this and was utterly shocked to see how much the hound understood. Isabelle smiled with pride at Lady, knowing she was truly lucky to have had a Mabari imprint on her.

* * *

Everyone was sound a sleep as Alistair and Isabelle sat in front of the blazing fire, keeping watch over the camp together. They didn't speak much. Alistair stared into the flames, a distraught and sad look on his face while Isabelle leaned against Lady, a hand stroking her short, black fur.

"You've been rather quiet," Isabelle broke the silence, concern flooding her heart.

"I just can't stop thinking about Ostagar," he paused, looking down at his folded hands. "And Duncan."

There was an awkward silence between them. Isabelle was unsure what to say, for she was suffering from her own losses and wasn't sure if she was able to offer solace with her heart broken as it was. The image of her mother and father floated into her mind, her chest fluttered with sadness and her throat became tight as she held back a sob. The image of her home in flames, her people dead. It was one she didn't want to dwell on, but it kept plaguing her mind.

"He was such a good man. He didn't deserve what happened to him," Alistair's voice quivered as he spoke, his eyebrows knitted together in melancholy. "I know, I need to move on, but he meant a lot to me," he sighed, closing his eyes. "I probably sound so stupid."

"No, you don't Alistair. I understand, he was like a father to you," she spoke softly, her own words warped by the despair in her heart. Standing up, she went to sit by Alistair, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We all experience loss, but luckily we have people to help us through it. I just want you to know, that I'm here for you if you need to talk."

His eyelids fluttered open, amber eyes resting on Isabelle. A faint smile pulled at the corner of his mouth as she took in her comforting words. "Thank you. And, I'm sorry for putting this all on you. I'm being selfish. I'm sure you've experienced loss as well and I'm being inconsiderate and whining like a child."

For a moment, she was tempted to tell him who she was and what happened to her home, how she met Duncan. But, something inside her told her not to burden him with her own troubles. The fear that she might upset him more clouded her reason. She smiled reassuringly, holding back tears that threatened to spill over. "There's no need to apologize."

His eyes broke away from her, and he stared at the fire again, the bright flames lighting up his face. "I was thinking about maybe holding a funeral for him. But, I've never heard him talk about family. I don't think he had anyone."

"That's not true. He had you."

"Yes, I suppose you're right. You know, he did tell me he was from Highever. Maybe I will go there after all this is over, and set up a memorial in his name."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," she paused, her eyes drooping at the thought of her homeland. "You know, I'm actually from Highever. Perhaps we can go together," she looked up at him and his eyes brightened, making her smile in return.

"I'd like that," he smiled back, his eyes twinkling. "Thank you, I feel a lot better now that I've finally talked about it."

"Anytime," she said, placing her hand on his and squeezing it. They looked at one another for quite some time and Isabelle could feel a slight tugging at her heart. She wondered if such a feeling was good or bad, but then she realized how comfortable she felt around this man, and figured it had to be good. A smile over came her features which caused him to smile back.

Footsteps caused Isabelle to break her stare, her gray eyes landing on the blond elf. Grogginess was clear in her eyes as she squinted away from the fire. A yawn escaped her lips and Isabelle couldn't help but wonder how many hours they were sitting there. Was it already time for the next shift?

Lynara looked between the two and noticed how close together they were. An unreadable look took over her features as her sapphire eyes scrutinized the two. Isabelle wondered what the look meant and felt a bit threatened by it. Was the look jealousy? Anger?

Standing up, she straightened out her loose tunic and leather breeches. "Well, I guess me and Lady will be heading in for the night. I will see you both in the morning." She nodded at the two and headed off to her tent with her Mabari in tow. The hairs on her neck prickled and she knew Lynara was staring icily at her. Shivering, she didn't dare look back, she just slipped into her tent without another word.

Lynara turned her gaze from Isabelle and focused it on Alistair. Her eyes softened slightly, making her irises look like liquid instead of ice. "You know, you can go to sleep. Morrigan will be up shortly to help me keep watch."

"Oh, right. Sorry," he babbled, blush covering his cheeks. Lynara raised a blond eyebrow at him, wondering why he was always so flustered around her.

"Are you okay? I'm not going to bite, you know," she said, her voice smooth as her eyes roamed over his figure. _Unless you want me to,_ the seductive thought floated through her mind and she was instantly appalled by her behavior. She couldn't fathom as to why she would have such a thought about this human man. A light blush blended into her fair skin, and she mentally cursed to herself, hoping Alistair wouldn't notice.

And, with her luck, he did. His own blush deepened as an lopsided smile crossed his lips. He stifled a laugh as he took in her uncomfortable stature. "Oh, uh, sorry. You're just kind of intimidating, that's all," he quickly clamped his mouth shut as soon as he realized what he said. "Um, not that that's a bad thing. It's kind of endearing actually." He brought his hand up to his mouth as his eyes widened with embarrassment. "I mean, oh Maker, pretend I didn't say that."

As hard as she tried, she couldn't contain her laughter. She had to admit, the way he babbled was kind of cute, if not funny. A shiver shook her body and she reached to wrap her cloak around herself as she went to go sit by the fire. But, it didn't do much, for she knew the shiver was not from the cold.

Sapphire eyes peered up at him through her eyelashes and he bit down on his lip, feeling lost and hopeless. "I should just probably go to sleep now, before I say something stupid again," he forced a smile and his heart fluttered in his chest as he looked at her one last time. A sudden rush of words danced on his tongue but he bit them back, quickly scurrying off to his tent for the night.

Lynara shook her head, giggling to herself. She had never met someone like Alistair, and she couldn't help but smile at his bashfulness. Her whole spirit felt light as she thought about his eyes and smile, but she forced herself to push the feeling away. It wasn't wise for her to get too attached to anyone. Not with what fate had in store for her.

* * *

"Didn't you say you were from Redcliffe, Alistair? That the Arl raised you?" Isabelle asked as they walked east on a wide, paved road.

"Did I?" he asked, looking at the brunette, his eyes lingering on her slim figure that was covered in dark leather.

"Yes, I do believe you did."

"No, you must be mistaken. I was actually raised by dogs," he explained, his expression serious but his voice light.

"That explains the smell," Morrigan chimed in.

"Not this again," he frowned and Isabelle chuckled.

"Oh, you smell fine Alistair. Everyone is in dire need of a bath," Isabelle felt grimy and dirty and longed to wash the filth off of her skin. The luxurious feeling of warm water surrounding her tired body appealed to her, making her mind drift into silly fantasies.

Such fantasies were cut short by a sudden irritation in her mind, her skin tingled, goosebumps rising. The four Grey Wardens immediately stopped and the rest followed suit, curious looks on their face as they looked for an answer as to why they had halted in their progress.

"Why have we stopped?" Leliana asked with naivety.

"There's darkspawn nearby," Isabelle explained, her hands on the hilt of her dagger and sword.

Suddenly, the creatures came into view and Isabelle unsheathed her weapons, gripping the blade tightly in her angered fists.

"Maker's breath!" Leliana gasped as she took in the creature. For her, it was the first time she laid eyes on the vile thing. Instinct took over and she reached for her bow, stringing an arrow and aiming at the creature that led the group.

And then, the battle began. A fierce cry rallied the group as Isabelle charged it, her footwork clean and quick as she danced around the creatures. Alistair and Rem both charged forward, grabbing the attention of the hoard as their shields knocked over their enemy and their longswords pierced their flesh. Morrigan and Lynara stayed back, firing powerful spells from a distance, freezing and catching the darkspawn on fire. Lynara growled with anger as one of the creatures shook off her spell, her rage causing her to cast a strong crushing prison on it. Leliana's eyes were wild as she fired arrows, her hands a little unsteady as she looked upon the darkspawns red eyes and sharp, angry teeth. Charging forward, Sten was fearless as he impaled the creatures with his broadsword, his eyes passive as he killed them with ease.

One of the darkspawn broke free of the front line and came hurling toward the ranged attackers. Lady rushed towards it, putting all of her weight into a fierce attack. The Mabari's strong jaws ripped into the creature, tainted blood spewing everywhere as the hound tore it apart.

Darkspawn archers came into the battle, wielding their bows with fierce determination to kill. They aimed at the Grey Warden mage, firing their arrows at her weakened state. She threw up a shield but it quickly faded when she ran out of mana. "Kill the archers!" she screeched. Her breath came in quick pants as she dodged the projectiles, her hand frantically searching for a lyrium potion.

The battle droned on and nearly all of the darkspawn were defeated. A few archers stood and she was getting annoyed at the fact that they were not dead yet. Lynara was determined to restore her power and make sure that the archers fell to her own hand, since her companions were not doing as she commanded.

An arrow pierced through Lynara's left shoulder, catching her off guard. There was a sharp intake of breath, and then another arrow got her in the thigh. She fell to her knees, desperately gasping for air as she tried to continue the fight. Her hands twitched to pull the arrow from her flesh, but Morrigan caught her hand, giving her a stern look. "You do that, and you'll loose a lot of blood," the witch explained. Lynara detected a faint concern in her voice and she nodded her head, letting her hands drop to the hard pavement.

The fighting subsided and everyone rushed to Lynara's side. Her hands were shaking as she tried to get enough energy so she could cast a healing spell. "By the Dread Wolf!" she exclaimed as she tried to stand. She hated that everyone was staring at her with dumb expressions. Anger and panic taking over, she ignored Morrigan's advice and pulled the arrows out of her limbs. A small sound of pain escaped her lips as she did so and blood started to pour out of her wounds, staining her robe. "Stop gawking and get me some damn bandages!" she growled, sitting back down on the ground when the pain in her leg was too much.

The sight of Isabelle rummaging through her bag caught her eye and she wondered if she had any health poultices on her. Right as the thought crossed her mind, her wish was granted and Isabelle pulled out a roll of gauze and a bottle of red liquid. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she took the poultice from her hand and reluctantly swallowed the bitter potion. She coughed, hating the taste it left in her mouth.

"Let's set up camp somewhere. It's going to be dark soon and we need to get our bearings after that large attack. We'll make it to Redcliffe by tomorrow evening at the latest." she said, wrapping the cloth around Lynara's bleeding wounds. She hissed in pain at the pressure she applied, but knew it was to stop the bleeding.

Everyone lumbered off towards the woods, going about to set up the camp in a nearby clearing. Isabelle looked at Lynara with concern and extended a hand. "Here, let me help you up and I can help you get to camp." Lynara noticed a smug gleam in the woman's eye and clenched her jaw together in irritation. The thought of being seen as weak by a human ate away at her, and she willed herself to stay strong.

Lynara begrudgingly took her hand, and frowned when the woman insisted on helping her walk. "I'm fine. Thank you," she said with a slight touch of annoyance in her voice. Isabelle frowned and walked behind the elf, watching her carefully as she limped to the camp.

Alistair was setting up Lynara's tent as she made her way into the clearing. She smiled at him and his eyes twinkling as she made her way over to him. "Are you okay?" he asked, his eyebrows pulling together in deep regard for her.

"Yes. I am fine. I've had much worse," she said, her eyes looking down at her mild wounds. Then she motioned toward the tent and smiled, "Ma serennas. Thank you, Alistair," she said, nodding her head at him.

His grin lit up his face and he stammered with his thoughts before turning away. "Of course," he said lightly.

Lynara headed into her tent and laid her bedroll out. She pulled off her robe, throwing her blood-stained clothes aside as she made sure her bandages were still in place. She curled into a wool blanket and rested on the bedroll, closing her eyes as she tried to regain herself. Bringing her hand up to her shoulder, she flexed her fingers and attempted to heal the wound with a quick spell but failed to conjure up enough power. A defeated sigh left her lips when the cool, tingling sensation didn't subside the pain. She knew she was too tired to create any potent magic, so she just relaxed her body and tried her best to ignore the pain.


End file.
